


Atticus

by permanentsmile



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: FTM, FtM Transgender, Hogwarts, LGBT, LGBT Character, LGBTQ, Multi, Original Character - Freeform, Original Character-centric, Ravenclaw, Teenagers, Trans, Transgender
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-05
Updated: 2017-10-11
Packaged: 2019-01-09 08:25:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12272628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/permanentsmile/pseuds/permanentsmile
Summary: Atticus Parker is your average boy attending Hogwarts. He has a best friend, he works hard in his classes, he has girl problems, and he wants to make it on the Quidditch team. Amid teenage troubles when you're a wizard, Atticus must keep one big secret to himself: he's transgender.





	1. Atticus Charles Parker

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my first time writing a story like this, so please be gentle. My apologies for the short introduction. The next chapter will be longer. It's 4:30 in the morning and I couldn't sleep, so I decided to just let my thoughts out and start writing this story. Anyway.... I hope you enjoy!

It all started the day before my eleventh birthday... the day I received my acceptance letter to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. My parents couldn’t have been more ecstatic for me - especially since they were wizards themselves. My dads were amazing in every way - they loved me for who I was, they encouraged me to improve my skills and focus on my talents (I just happened to be very good at riddles and Wizard’s Chess), and they always made sure my education came first.

Shopping was a blast that year, especially since I was lucky enough to get ice cream after we finished. I picked out a barn owl and named her Star, and the amount of love I had for that bird couldn’t be put into words. We didn’t have an owl at home before that, which was a little uncommon where we lived (Falmouth), though it never really bothered us before. We mainly kept to ourselves, and our family was small; I was an only child, and some would say I was quite spoiled because of it.

The biggest moment for me when we went shopping for my first year was when I got my wand. Unicorn hair, ebony, eleven and a half inches, slightly springy. I was proud of that wand, and knew I would one day do great things with it. I had so many hopes and dreams for my Hogwarts career, and my parents only encouraged them.

Saying goodbye to my dads was one of the hardest things I had to do, but I didn’t cry. I kept on a brave face for them, as I didn’t want to be made fun of on my first day. I hadn’t been raised around other witches and wizards, so being around hundreds at my new school was going to be a definite change of pace.

I ended up in a compartment with two First Year boys named Thomas and Geoffrey. Thomas and I clicked immediately, and we engaged in a game of Gobstones while Geoffrey read what appeared to be one of our school books. We all bought some sweeties off of the trolley and traded wizard cards. It was an enjoyable trip, and my eleven-year-old self slowly lost the nerves I’d been carrying for a month at that point.

Maybe - just maybe - I would fit in, I thought. Maybe nobody would question me, or think of me as a strange person. I was just an average kid, after all.

When we arrived, the Care of Magical Creatures Professor and games keeper, Hagrid, led us to the Castle. We rowed our way up the Black Lake, where I was in the boat with my future best friend, Tom, and a girl named Jane. We chattered excitedly to each other as we talked about our plans for the school year, and which classes we were so sure were going to be our favorites, and which House we were going to be in.

Once we were in the Great Hall, after our introductory speech from Professor Longbottom, we lined up and waited for our names to be called to be sorted into our Houses. Everyone’s eyes were on Albus Potter and Rose Weasley, who were the children of the famous Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley, who saved our world before I was born. Many of us applauded when Rose Weasley was sorted into Gryffindor, but when Albus was called....

“Slytherin!” the Sorting Hat shouted.

While there was an eruption of applause from the Slytherin table, the rest of us were shocked. I had no hard feelings towards Slytherins - in fact, I had an Uncle who was a Slytherin and he was a good man. I spotted Albus’ older brother, James, at the Gryffindor table looking lost and disappointed. My feelings of anxiety returned when I realized I could have very well disappointed my parents by being sorted into the wrong House.

My friend, Tom, went up and he was sorted into Ravenclaw. After he was sorted, it was Jane’s turn and she was placed in Hufflepuff. I felt my stomach flip-flop and felt a little nauseous from too much sugar and too many nerves.

“Parker, Atticus,” Professor Longbottom called.

I froze the moment he said my name before I slowly walked up to the stool. I took my seat, and felt the hat go over my eyes.

“You’re a wise one,” the hat said. “But you’re so full of secrets. You’re true to yourself, and that takes courage. You like Wizard’s Chess, eh? You’re destined for greatness - I know exactly where to put you....”

The hat paused for a moment.

“Ravenclaw!” it shouted.

There was an eruption from the Ravenclaw table, and I felt the hat being pulled off my head, leaving my dark brown hair to be messier than it usually was. I hurried off the stool and joined Tom and the rest of the people at the Ravenclaw table, where I was welcomed with open arms.

My following days as a First Year were fairly good. I wasn’t bullied much (though a couple of Gryffindors liked to pick on me because I wasn’t the best at flying), and I even had the opportunity to talk to Albus Potter. We didn’t end up clicking, which was a shame, as we were both fairly reserved kids who didn’t seem to know how to make friends. He seemed to be quite attached to Scorpius Malfoy, who was a pleasant kid in my book.

Lucky for me, my mate Tom was there for me through everything. We were inseparable. We helped each other in our weaker subjects (mine being Herbology, his being Potions), played Chess together, and basically remained attached at the hip every day of our First Year. Of course, that wouldn’t change in the future by much.

By the time the end of the school year arrived, I was sad to see him go back to London, but we promised each other we would write and would even try to visit one another. We kept our promises and he did visit for a couple of weeks, and my dads loved him. They took us to Hogsmeade for a special day out and it was a blast. During his visit, we spent most of our time playing out in the garden and quizzing each other from our old school books. It was nice having a mate who was as interested in academics as I was.

Over the next three years, we continued to be inseparable, and we made a promise to each other to keep no secrets. I told him almost everything, and I was sure he told me all there was to know about Thomas William Adams. He truly was my best friend.

* * *

It was my Fifth Year, and I was just as enthused as the years’ past to resume my schooling. My dads took me shopping for robes and books, and I was given multiple speeches about my O.W.Ls, which I took many practice tests for over the summer. I was excited to get back to my home away from home: Hogwarts.

The opening ceremony feast was good as it was every year before that. Tom and I sat next to each other and talked about our upcoming classes, his trip to Greece over the summer, and girls. Everything was normal in our worlds.

My morning routine for the first day of school was the usual: wake up, get dressed, and waited until everyone (including Tom) cleared out so I could give myself my shot. After magicking away the needle, I hid my medicine in my trunk and transfigured it into an ink well so nobody knew what it was, and hurried off to breakfast.

While Tom was my best friend in the whole world, there was one thing I couldn’t tell him... I’m transgender.


	2. Classes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Atticus' routine is shown, as well as a side effect of taking testosterone.

When I reached the Ravenclaw table in the Great Hall, I was greeted by Tom, and redheaded twins named Jasper and Danielle. Jasper and Danielle were in our year and were pretty good friends with us. Jasper looked like a Seventh Year because he could grow a little facial hair - something I would be entirely envious for for an entire year.

“Big man is here!” Jasper announced as the three of them looked up at me. “How’s it going, big guy?”

He liked to call me things like that because I could still wear Muggle boys’ extra large shirts. I tried to eat as much as I could, but I remained kinda small. I was a little sensitive about it, but I let it slide with him.

“Good morning, Jas. Dani, Tom.”

“Morning,” they all said in unison.

I took a seat next to Tom, who was stuffing his face full of sausage and toast. I opted for some eggs benedict and orange juice. One thing great about Hogwarts - there was always some kind of tasty food to eat. Unless it was Boxing Day.

“What took you so long this morning, mate? You didn’t get busy talking to Sapphire again, did you?” Tom asked as he brushed his blond bangs out of his eyes.

I felt a little anxiety in my guts and smiled nervously.

“Sapphire? Nah. I spilled some ink on my bed and had to clean it up before Flitwick saw.”

_What a lame excuse._

“You cleaned it up? Why not have left it for the House Elves? They live for that kind of stuff!” Tom exclaimed between bites of toast. “Eat up, Atticus. You need to put on some weight.”

“Yeah, yeah,” I said as I took a bite of eggs.

“At least his voice is finally changing,” Jasper said with a laugh.

“Oi, shut it,” I said, feeling the guilt of my secret weighing me down.

It wasn’t just having to keep it secret - it was also the fact that I was dysphoric as all hell anyway. My chest gave me no problems because I was put on hormone blockers before it could grow, so I was in the clear and wouldn’t need surgery for that. My dads always knew I was different, and they had me sent to a Healer years ago, who said they couldn’t do anything and that Muggle medicine was needed, which scared me at the time.

Fast-forward to age eleven, just weeks before I was sent off on my magic-enriching education at my favorite place in the world, I had to have a minor surgery to have a hormone-blocker put in me. They wanted to wait to give me hormones so I could have the chance to grow a little, but over the summer when I turned fifteen, standing at only five-foot-five, I begged my parents to please let me go on hormones so I could have a better year at school. My Fourth Year was made miserable by the horrible surprise that Tom’s voice had deepened over the summer while mine had not.

My dads immediately made an appointment with the Muggle Doctor who’d been keeping track of my case, and within three months I was prescribed testosterone. I’d never been happier to shove a needle in my stomach. I’d only been on testosterone for two months at that point, but my voice had definitely dropped some, and I was starting to have fat redistribution in my stomach and hips.

“Sorry, At. You know I like to have a go at you,” said Jasper through a smile.

“Yeah, yeah.” My attention wandered as I saw my crush walk past the table.

Her name was Rachel and she was perfect. She was also in Ravenclaw, so lucky for me I got to see her around quite a bit. She was really smart, and had a beautiful face. Her long, dark hair bounced around on her shoulders as she walked, which drove me crazy. She looked over at me and smiled, and gave me a little nod.

I bashfully waved at her, and realized I had some egg on my chin. I quickly wiped off my chin and noticed her giggling as she walked away, books pressed against her chest as she left. I dropped my hand and felt like a fool.

“Tough luck,” said Tom as he clapped me on the shoulder. “At least she smiled at you! Maybe for the wrong reason, but it’s a start....”

“That’s true. Maybe this will be my year,” I said with hope.

Danielle rolled her eyes and looked up from her book.

“Merlin, you sound like those Muggle teen movies. Hurry up, you three. We need to get to class. We have Charms with the Gryffindors.”

“You’ll get to see your girlfriend, Tom!” Jasper exclaimed as he clapped his hands.

“Sshh!” Tom hushed. “Rose isn’t my girlfriend! ... _yet_.” He smirked.

“All talk and no action,” said Jasper.

We finished up our breakfast and made our way to Charms, which was an okay class. I was hoping to get an E in it on my O.W.Ls. We were given a speech by our Head of House, Professor Flitwick, about how he expects us to try our hardest, especially from his Ravenclaws.

“Know who I feel the most sorry for?” Danielle commented as we left Charms, “The Slytherins. They have Snape to ride them in Potions. That’s gotta be rough.”

“I don’t feel sorry for the Slytherins. Nasty lot,” said Jasper.

“Watch it,” I said as a group of Slytherins passed us.

I never had anything against the Slytherins, but Jasper hated them. Jasper seemed to be against a lot of things, which I always found peculiar because I was raised to be an open-minded individual. Danielle mostly tended to take pity on the Slytherins because she knew Snape was strict with them, unlike Flitwick with us. He was more lenient with us because most of us worked our hardest to keep our grades up and win House points. Our only fault was not being the best Quidditch team.

Speaking of Quidditch....

“Oi, Atticus, you gonna try out for Quidditch again this year? They’re looking for a Beater and a Chaser,” said Tom.

“I dunno. I’m thinking about it. Are you gonna try out?” We walked down the stairs and made our way toward the Dungeons for Potions.

“Of course, mate! How else am I gonna impress Rose Weasley? She’s all over Merrick Smyth and he’s the Seeker for Hufflepuff!”

“He also gets better grades than you,” said Jasper with a smirk.

“But if I become a Chaser, Rose will be all over me. It’s simple!” Tom grabbed my shoulders and pulled me to his side, standing a few inches taller than me. “Imagine it - the best mates at Hogwarts playing on the same team! We’ll impress all the girls, we’ll win even more House points so Flitwick will stay off our backs, and we’ll be heroes. Can’t you see it, Atticus?”

I laughed.

“Yeah, right. We’re invisible, Tom.”

“Heroes is a bit far, but it’ll push you two up the social ladder a bit more,” said Danielle.

We turned a corner and avoided the death glare Filch was giving us.

“The birds will love us for sure. They love jocks at this school, don’t they?” Tom said as he released me.

“Sounds like you watch too many Muggle movies,” said Jasper.

We trotted down the steps into the creepy, dark Dungeon. I hated going down there and was glad I wasn’t made Prefect. Between my work load and the creepiness of the Dungeons were enough to keep me from wanting to be in that race anyway.

“Oh boy, Potions. My favorite class,” Tom whined.

“Hi Atticus!” Scorpius Malfoy greeted me as he approached us, Albus Potter tailing behind him.

“Hi Scorpius. Hi Albus. How’s your first day going?” I asked.

“Catch you inside,” Jasper said as he dragged Danielle with him.

I caught Danielle eyeing Scorpius, which concerned me mildly because her brother would not appreciate that.

“It’s going great! We just had Defense Against the Dark Arts and my buddy here nearly blew up the whole classroom! It was wicked!” Scorpius grinned.

“Shut up, Scorpius,” Albus mumbled.

Tom snickered.

“Reminds me of that time in our second year when Atticus nearly set Professor Longbottom on fire. ‘Member that, At?”

I rolled my eyes.

“Unfortunately.”

I heard footsteps down the corridor and saw Professor Snape making his way toward the classroom.

“Nice chatting with you!” I said quickly before pulling Tom into the classroom to take our usual seats.

“Jeez, what is it with you and Snape, anyway? You scared of him?” Tom asked as we sat behind Jasper and Danielle.

“No! I just don’t want us to get in trouble. You know how he can be....” I muttered.

I started scratching at my gut and groaned quietly when I realized I had a rash forming from my injection. It didn’t happen every time, but if the medicine leaked a little bit then I would have a minor rash come on. No matter - I would visit the Hospital Wing after Potions to get a cream to treat it.

Potions was a nightmare as usual. Professor Snape gave us a load of homework, and it was all due by Friday. He expected a foot long essay on the properties of doxy venom and all its purposes. The man really needed to get laid.

“Hey guys, I’ll meet you in the Great Hall. I gotta run back to the Tower to get something,” I lied as I rushed away from my friends.

“Want me to come with you?” Tom asked.

“No, it’s okay! I’ll see you in a few minutes!” I began sprinting out of the Dungeon and up toward the Hospital Wing. __

* * *

Once I was in the Hospital Wing, Madam Pomfrey greeted me with a warm smile.

“Hello, Atticus. What brings you here?”

“I, uh, have a rash on my stomach. It’s from my injections.”

Oh, yeah - Madam Pomfrey and Headmistress McGonagall knew I was transgender. My dads told them everything before the start of my Hogwarts education, and they were surprisingly open-minded. They were sworn to secrecy for my protection.

“Muggles....” she said with an eye roll.

She marched across the room and walked between a couple of empty beds to dig through a storage cabinet. She pulled out a small flask and motioned for me to come over. I followed her instruction and raised my uniform shirt a bit in the process, and noticed there was a bright red blotch on my olive skin.

“You would think we would have our own treatments by now,” she said as she rubbed the cream on my stomach. “I guess there just aren’t enough witches and wizards like you quite yet for the research. Perhaps you could start a case study when you’re older.”

“I don’t think the medical field is right for me,” I commented. “I’m not smart enough.”

“Now, now, my boy. You’re in Ravenclaw or a reason. Now, get back to class before a Professor takes away points!”

“Okay. Thank you, Madam Pomfrey.” I lifted my bag over my shoulder and hurried out, and sprinted my way back to the Great Hall to begin working on my essay for Professor Snape.


	3. Dysphoria

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Atticus deals with dysphoria; Tom cooks up a plan to try out for the Quidditch team; Tom and Atticus hang out with Scorpius and Albus.

By the end of the week, I turned in my essay for Professor Snape and received a perfect grade on it. Despite earning some House points in Potions and receiving good feedback, I felt awful. I was dysphoric, I hated my voice, I hated how skinny I was, I hated the way my face was shaped, and I felt like I needed to cut off my shaggy hair.

“Hey brother, can I ask you a question?” I asked Tom on our way out of Transfiguration, which was our final class for the day.

“Duh,” he replied as he flipped through his journal.

“Should I get a haircut?”

He paused and looked at me, then ruffled my hair.

“Might not be a bad idea. You might impress Rachel.” He winked, then went back to flipping through his notes.

“Yeah... tomorrow is Hogsmeade, so maybe I’ll cut it then.” I nodded to myself as a way to reassure that what I was doing was the right thing.

One thing I noticed about being on testosterone was that my hairline was beginning to change a little. I wasn’t really losing any hair, thank Merlin, but I was getting a more masculine hairline. I still hated the way my stupid jawline looked. It wasn’t very wide, unlike Tom’s, who had a square jawline.

“Yeah. Just do what you gotta do, man. You’ll look great!” He smiled at me, then went back to his journal.

We walked out of the main entrance of the castle and made our way to the tree near the lake to relax and enjoy the rare sunshine. On our way, we passed Rose Weasley, who was busy talking to Merrick Smyth, who wore his Quidditch uniform. Tom slowed way up and stared at them.

“...yeah, I’ll absolutely come see you practice tomorrow! Hardly anyone goes to Hogsmeade this early in the year anyway.” Rose smiled at Merrick.

“Wicked. I can’t wait. First game’s in two weeks. Will you be there?” He grinned at her, and that’s when I noticed they were standing awfully close.

“Of course! I do love a good game of Quidditch! My aunt is actually a Quidditch star....”

We resumed walking, and Tom was livid.

“That’s it!” he exclaimed, stopping after several paces. “We’re trying out for Quidditch on Sunday!”

“Tom, we’re gonna suck,” I said with a groan. “People are going to laugh at us.”

“Ye of little faith!” He put his arm around my shoulder and we resumed walking. “We’re gonna be fine.”

“And what will we do when we’re not fine? I’ve never even hit a Bludger before.” I sighed.

“Come on, Atticus. Be a man. You gotta have confidence. That’s the key to help you get Rachel to like you - and wait until she sees you on a broom! Come on, you did great when we had flying lessons. You were one of the best in our year.”

“That’s true,” I remarked.

“See? Confidence!” He grinned and let go of me.

We approached the tree and saw Scorpius and Albus sitting under it, which I didn’t mind at all because they were always nice to me.

“Eagles!” Scorpius exclaimed.

“Snakes!” Tom exclaimed.

They looked at each other before laughing. Tom leaned down and shook Scorpius’s hand and took a seat next to him.

“Snape was brutal with those questions today, wasn’t he?” Tom remarked.

“He always is, but I swear he’s pretty decent when you get to know him. My father has him ‘round for Sunday dinner regularly.”

“That’s gotta be so weird,” said Tom.

“Try being named after him,” Albus muttered as I took a seat next to him.

“You’d think he’d give you some kind of special treatment for that, too,” said Tom.

“Snape hates me,” said Albus.

“Snape hates everyone! It’s just part of who he is,” said Scorpius with a laugh. “Buck up, Albus. I wouldn’t take it personally.”

“We’re in his House and he manages to yell at me the most.”

“Flitwick never yells at us,” I commented. “I guess we’re lucky.”

“More like normal,” said Albus. “Lupin doesn’t yell at the Gryffindors, and you know my brother causes way too much trouble for his own good.”

“Lupin favors James though,” said Scorpius.

“Hey, are you guys going to try out for the Slytherin team?” I asked.

“No. Are you guys trying out for Ravenclaw?” Scorpius asked.

“Yeah! We’re gonna get on the team and get girlfriends,” said Tom.

“He thinks so. I think we’re going to make fools of ourselves. You guys want to come see us try out on Sunday?”

“Sure,” said Albus, which caught me by surprise. “What time?”

“Noon,” said Tom.

We chatted for a while longer before I got up to leave for the common room. I bid the guys ado and began the long walk back to Ravenclaw Tower. On my way, I saw Rachel on the fifth floor and it appeared she was heading in my direction.

“Hi, Rachel!” I exclaimed nervously.

She turned around, her gray bag swinging from her shoulder as she moved, and smiled at me.

“Hi, Atticus. Heading back to the common room?”

“Yeah.” I smiled at her, feeling my heart flutter. “Walk together?”

“Sure.” She began walking again and I caught up with her.

“What did you think of Transfiguration today?” I asked.

“Oh, it was so much fun! Hey, you’re in Muggle Studies, aren’t you?” she asked.

“Yeah,” I said as we turned the corner. “What about it?”

“Is it fascinating? I’m in Study of Ancient Runes and I’ve found it absolutely boring this year. I wish I could trade classes.” She adjusted her strap on her bag and looked at me; she was my height.

“You want to take Muggle Studies? Maybe you could talk to Professors Flitwick and McGonagall and they could take you out of Ancient Runes and put you in Muggle Studies.”

“You really think they’d allow that?”

“It’s worth a shot,” I said as we climbed a flight of stairs that led to Ravenclaw Tower. “What’s the worst that could happen?”

“Being told no, I suppose,” she said. “Thanks, Atticus.”

“Not a problem,” I responded.

We reached the door to Ravenclaw Tower and I used the bronze eagle knocker, then watched it come to life.

“Marking mortal privation, when firmly in place. An enduring summation, inscribed in my face. What am I?” it asked.

Rachel and I looked at each other, both pondering the answer.

“A tombstone?” she answered.

“That is correct,” the knocker answered, and the door swung open.

“Man, the others have it easy,” I said as we entered the common room. “They just have to remember a password.”

“The riddles aren’t so bad. It’s not like they’re asking for a blood sample or something.” She smiled at me. “It was great talking to you, Atticus. I’ll see you around.”

“Right. See you,” I said as I watched her take off for the girls’ dormitory.

After she was out of sight, I made my way to the boys’ dormitory and decided to write home.

I was pleased to see that the dorm was empty, so I took a seat at the only desk in the dorm and _Accio_ ’d over some parchment and my quill from my trunk. I made due with the green inkwell that was sitting on the desk already.

  
_Dear Dad and Pop,_

_School is going okay. I’m going to Hogsmeade tomorrow to do some shopping with Tom, then on Sunday I will be trying out for the Beater position on the Quidditch team. I’m nervous to even attempt trying out for a sport, but Tom is determined to impress Rose Weasley so he wants to try out as Chaser._

_I miss you both. My voice is dropping each day, and I’ve generally felt good about myself since starting T, but today I’ve just been dysphoric. I’m trying to eat more, but I still haven’t gained any weight as far as I can tell._

_How are you two doing? What are your plans for the weekend? Please write back as soon as you can._

_Love,_   
_Atticus_

I retrieved an envelope and sealed up my letter, then beckoned over Star, who was watching me like a hawk.

“Okay, girl. Send this to Dad and Pop, okay?” I said to her and she took the envelope from me.

She nuzzled her head into my neck before hopping off my shoulder and onto the desk, then jumped up into the open window above and took off in flight. I sighed as I watched her fly away. I did miss my dads, but school and my education was important to me. I did hear of some witches and wizards being home schooled, but as far as I knew it never turned out too well.

I got up from the desk and went over to the full-sized mirror that was hanging behind the door. I stared at myself and frowned. Shaggy, dark brown hair, brown eyes, and olive skin. Who was I to kid? Rachel would never like me. I was too short, my hair was too long, and I wasn’t athletic.

I groaned as I stepped away from the mirror to lay on my four-poster bed. I put my hands behind my head and stared up at the blue canopy, glaring. It was hopeless to think I could get on the Quidditch team as a Beater. I was too small - they looked for burlier people to play that position. I was built more to be a Seeker, and that position wouldn’t be open for another two years.


	4. Hogsmeade and Quidditch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Atticus and Tom visit Hogsmeade Village; Atticus changes his appearance; Albus gives Atticus a gift; Atticus and Tom audition for positions on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team.

It was Saturday and that meant everyone’s favorite weekend arrived: our monthly trip to Hogsmeade. I was determined to get my hair cut and buy some sweets from Honeydukes that day. Tom and I chatted excitedly as we walked down from Ravenclaw Tower to the entrance of the castle. We were skipping out on breakfast that morning - after all, we had to save room for sweeties! Nothing was going to spoil our day - we had Professor Longbottom chauffeuring us, we were going to meet with Albus and Scorpius, and I was finally going to change my hair. It was going to be a good day.

Albus and Scorpius met us by the entrance to the castle at nine in the morning, and off we were to go visit the village. When we reached the gates, Filch checked off our names and we were free from the castle’s grounds. It felt good to be a Fifth Year.

“Hey, can we go to Zonko’s? I need more itching powder,” said Tom.

“I hope you aren’t planning on using that on any of us,” said Scorpius.

“Of course not! I’m gonna use it on Merrick Smyth. He’s getting a little too cozy with Rose Weasley.”

“She’s my cousin, y’know. I could just put in a good word for you,” said Albus.

I nudged Tom.

“Serious, mate? You’d do that?” Tom asked as he grinned.

“Sure. We don’t talk a whole lot since we’re in rival Houses, but... I’m sure she’d stop and listen to me for five seconds anyway.”

“Thanks, Albus. You’re pretty cool.”

Albus remained silent as we kept walking. Meanwhile, Scorpius and Tom talked about our Quidditch auditions for the following day. I was nervous about it and didn’t want to participate in conversation because I was dreading it. Sure, I wanted to be on the team, but I was never good at sports, let alone trying to sell myself.

Confidence... that’s what men have, right? Maybe me lacking confidence made me less of a man. The thought made my mood sink.

“Alright, Atticus?” Albus asked when we were halfway there.

“Yeah,” I lied. “You?”

“Alright,” he said, and I had the feeling he was lying.

I couldn’t imagine what it was like to be Harry Potter’s son. It must have been difficult to live up to people’s standards of what you should be like. Carrying the Potter name was probably hell for him, and I truly did pity him - don’t get me wrong though, he was a nice guy.

We arrived in Hogsmeade just before ten and I immediately went to the hairdressing salon, which was across from Honeydukes. Albus and Scorpius abandoned us for the post office, as they had letters to send out to their families. Tom followed me into the fairly empty salon.

“Welcome!” A young witch with long, wavy, red hair greeted me. “Just a trim today, dear?”

“A regular haircut, please. Trying something new,” I said with as much confidence in my voice as possible.

“Follow me,” she said as she led me over to a black, rotating chair.

I took a seat and a black cape went over the front of me and tied itself around my neck. I felt a comb going through my hair, and watched in the mirror as she flipped through a catalogue of different men’s hairstyles. She grinned as she showed me a buzz cut.

“Would you like something like this, dear?”

“No, thanks. I was thinking short on the sides and long on top.”

“Very well. That would suit your face better.” She smiled at me and tapped the book with her wand, and the pages immediately flipped to the hairstyle I was thinking of. “This?”

“Perfect,” I said with a grin.

“ _Accio_ scissors,” she said as she waved her wand, and the scissors came flying into her hand, which made me a little bit nervous.

“So what is your name?” she asked as she began to cut my hair.

I mentally said goodbye to my shaggy, wavy hair and focused on her in the mirror.

“Atticus. You?”

“Esmerelda. What are you studying at Hogwarts?” I heard the scissors cut a little too close to my ear for comfort.

“Muggle Studies and Arithmancy.”

“You must be quite smart. I took Divination and Care of Magical Creatures and barely passed either of those on my O.W.Ls. I basically dropped Care of Magical Creatures in my sixth year. What year are you in?”

“Fifth.”

“Oh, how exciting! Are you going to stay in Muggle Studies and Arithmancy?”

“Probably. I like numbers, and Muggles are interesting.”

“Fascinating folks, they are! When my kids don’t behave I make them clean their rooms the Muggle way.”

“Oh. How many kids do you have?”

She enchanted a razer and I watched it trim at the top of my hair, and noticed different bits were starting to stick up on their own.

“Six. I know - I don’t look a day over twenty! But I’m actually thirty-four. Ssshh!” She giggled.

“Six. Wow! Are they all in school yet?”

“My oldest is. First year. His name is Zachary St. James. Know him?”

“I remember him at the Sorting Ceremony. Hufflepuff.”

“Good memory!” she exclaimed as she finished the back of my hair.

We continued to talk about her kids and her life, and what I was going to do after school (I really had no idea). I caught Tom snickering a couple of times as he seemed to be listening in on our conversation. He was probably going to tease me and tell me I sounded like a woman.

Once she was finished, I couldn’t believe my own eyes - my jawline looked wider, and I looked way more masculine! I paid and gave her a nice tip before exiting the shop with Tom on my heels. I felt great about myself - nothing could bring me down after my haircut.

“Wow, you look great, mate!” Tom said after we exited the shop. “You look older somehow. Rachel’s going to fancy it.” He smirked.

“Let’s hope so,” I said as we crossed the street to go to Honeydukes.

The sound of a bell dinging welcomed us into the small shop, which smelled like chocolate and various types of sweets. Tom immediately went to a display of fizzing whizbees while I went right for the chocolate bars. It wasn’t long before I felt a tap on the shoulder.

“Your hair looks good,” said Albus, who presented me with a red lollipop. “Here... on me. They’re really good.”

“Wow. Thanks, Albus. I love these.” I took the lollipop from him, which was a cherry lolly made by Honeydukes and shouldn’t be confused with a blood pop, and smiled at him. “Let me get you something in return.”

“Nah. I get enough sweets.” He smiled weakly. “Thanks, though.”

“Oi, Atticus!” Tom exclaimed from the front counter. “They have a new flavor or Jelly Slugs! Come try one!”

“Alright, Tom.” I turned back to Albus. “Have you tried them?”

“Yeah. Not as rubbish as I thought they’d be.”

“Wicked.” I smiled at him. “Thanks again for the lolly.”

“No problem.” He smiled a bit more.

I clapped him on the shoulder before going over to Tom.

“Oi mate, Albus is acting a bit off,” I whispered to him.

“Albus? He’s always a bit off,” Tom whispered back before pushing a display of blue Jelly Slugs towards me.

“I mean, he bought me this lollipop randomly and said my hair looked nice.”

“Maybe he has a crush on you?” Tom shrugged.

“I dunno.” I shrugged as well and tried a Jelly Slug. “Mmm. Blueberry.”

* * *

We returned to the castle a couple of hours later, and after dumping off our sweets and miscellaneous items, we went out to the tree by the Black Lake to do our homework since it was such a nice day out. On our way to our favorite tree, Tom spotted Rachel talking to Rose.

“Our future girlfriends conversing!” Tom said excitedly. “Come on, man! Let’s go!”

Before I could object, he pulled me off our course and over to a stone bench where the girls were talking.

“Hello, ladies,” Tom greeted as he smiled.

Rose rolled her eyes while Rachel smiled at us.

“Hi, Tom. Hi, Atticus. I like your hair.”

I blushed.

“Hi, Rachel. Thanks.”

“Yeah, your hair looks really good,” said Rose. “It frames your face better.”

I could tell Tom was getting annoyed over my hair being a hot topic of discussion.

“I was thinking about getting the same haircut!” he said suddenly. “What do you think? Would it frame my face good?”

“ _Well_ ,” Rose corrected. “It would frame your face _well_.”

“Oh, thanks! Maybe I’ll get it done tomorrow after we try out for Quidditch.” He grinned at Rose.

“You’re trying out for Quidditch?” Rachel asked.

“Well, it’s Tom’s idea,” I said quietly.

“Which position are you trying out for?” Rachel asked.

“He’s trying out for Beater! I’m going to try out as a Chaser.”

“Good luck,” said Rose, who looked completely uninterested.

“Yeah, good luck! I’ll come watch you try out tomorrow. What time?” Rachel inquired.

“Oh, um -” I was cut off by Tom.

“Noon!” He grinned at her, then nudged me.

“See you then,” she said before waving cutely at us.

“Yeah.... See you,” I said nervously before being pulled away by Tom.

“Man, you are so in with Rachel,” he said after we got a few meters away from them. “Think my chances are good with Rose?”

“Sure, man. Just take it each day.”

He grinned and clapped me on the back.

* * *

The following day, we arrived at the Quidditch pitch to make fools of ourselves at our audition. First they were trying out Chasers, and Tom was third to go. There was a total of fourteen of us trying out.

“Come on, Tom!” Jasper shouted from the stands.

Jasper, Danielle, Albus, Scorpius, Rachel, and a reluctant Rose Weasley were in the stands to cheer us on.

Tom gave Jasper the thumbs up before kicking off on his broom. I watched as they had a mock game with him, and he did a damn good job keeping the Quaffle away from the “opposite” team, and did a great job passing and receiving it. I could see him becoming the new Chaser.

After the eleventh person went, it was time for auditions for Beaters. I was up first, and I felt like vomiting all over the pitch.

“You got this, Atticus!” Jasper shouted.

Right.... Just don’t make a fool of yourself....

I kicked off on my broom after I was given a bat and watched from above as the Bludgers were unleashed. I panicked and took a swing at one, only to miss and have it turn around and hit the tail of my broom, causing me to spin. I quickly flew away from the Bludger and kept lookout for the other one, which I didn’t know was looming behind me until it was too late.

Everything went dark almost immediately, and I didn’t wake up until six hours later in the Hospital Wing. Tom, Jasper, Danielle, Scorpius, and Albus were all surrounding my bed. I groaned as soon as I woke up and realized what happened.

“She’s never gonna like me,” I said quietly.

“Oh rubbish,” said Tom. “She will. She was worried about you when you fell off your broom.”

“We all were,” said Albus.

“Alright, children, back to your common rooms,” Madam Pomfrey said as she walked in. “Visiting hours are over. I need to keep him overnight because of head trauma. Scat!”

Jasper rolled his eyes and gave me a pat on the shoulder, then left, followed by Danielle and Scorpius. Albus bid me good night and hurried after his best friend. Tom stuck around, like I figured he would.

“See you in the morning, mate. You’ll be fine. Just remember: this doesn’t mean you can’t try again next year.”

“Wait... how did you do?” I asked as I tried to sit up.

“Erm.... I made the team.” He blushed.

“Wha- ? Congratulations!” I said, and tried to sit up again to shake his hand, but failed.

“Whoa! Relax, chum. It’s not a big deal. Maybe I’ll tell them to give the position to someone else. We were supposed to be in this together.”

“No, mate! You earned it. You were great out there. I’ll just be in the stands, cheering you on.”

“You sure, mate? I hate doing this without you.” He looked a little awkward.

“I’m positive. Go out there and kick arse. I’ll be cheering you on.” I smiled at him to reassure him.

“If you say so! Say - the captain told me to tell you that you should have waited to try out for Seeker. She said you were everything they would be looking for in a Seeker because you’re... y’know... kinda small and stuff.”

“Right,” I said quietly. “Small....”

“It’s not a bad thing, mate. Some guys are supposed to be smaller. We all have our place in the world!”

“Mine is just being small,” I said quietly.

“Erm....”

He was cut off by Madam Pomfrey returning.

“For heaven’s sakes, Mr. Adams, you must go. Mr. Parker needs his rest! Now shoo!”

“Right. See you tomorrow, At. G’night!” He hurried away from me, seeming to be awkward and flustered from Madam Pomfrey’s shoos.

“Thanks, Madam Pomfrey,” I said quietly after the Wing was empty.

“It’s alright, Atticus. I will have your medicine here for you tomorrow morning, along with your uniform. Get some rest. You’ll be better in the morning.”

She handed me a cup of chamomile tea that was infused with an unknown potion that left a funny after taste. I thanked her before she left, then settled into the semi-comfortable bed and let out a deep sigh of depression. My thoughts raced as I tried to drift into an uncomfortable sleep.

Small. A complete failure at Quidditch. An embarrassment. Transgender.... I hated myself.


	5. Sixth Year

For the rest of my fifth year, I was known as the guy who epically failed at Quidditch try-outs. I was laughed at, and many people started to bully me. Tom backed me up every chance he could, but he was higher up on the social ladder than I was, and people respected him. Regardless of that, people wouldn’t lay off me.

I attended every single game Tom played in, and I cheered him on. At one of the first games he played, someone threw trash at me and called me a loser. It was... a bit of a nightmare. Taking notice to my change in behavior and the bullying, Professor Lupin stepped in to council me many times. I would often have tea with Professor Lupin after classes and would do my homework in his office while he graded papers; sometimes he would walk me back to my common room to make sure I wouldn’t be harassed.

As far as things went with Rachel... she didn’t treat me differently. She was concerned at first about my fall, and what it would do as far as affecting the way I learned, but she quickly got over it after she learned my brains hadn’t been turned to mush. Tom told me she cared about me, but I didn’t believe him. Why would a girl like her care about a boy like me?

Physical changes from testosterone.... I experienced many changes over the course of that year; my voice deepened a lot, and by the end of the school year it was as deep as Tom’s. I was starting to get a little bit of facial hair above my lip and under my chin. I hadn’t grown at all, which was to be expected, and I didn’t really put on much weight. I was a little under eight stone when I started testosterone, and at eleven months on T I was eight and a half stone.

My O.W.Ls went pretty well. I got an O in all but Transfiguration, where I received an E. I decided to continue all of my classes for my last two years at school. Tom was dropping Divination because he hated it.

Over the summer, I kept to myself and mainly stayed in my room. My dads were a little concerned, as I was usually sociable (especially after going on testosterone), but they must have figured it was puberty taking its toll on me and let it go after a couple of days. I didn’t see Tom that summer, nor did I really want to. I felt my depression worsen because of my isolation.

Tom did write to me a few times that summer. I responded a couple of times, keeping everything simple and to the point. I really had nothing going on, and I didn’t want anything to go on. He was vacationing in America, where he found out that they called Muggles No-Maj and they had a school called Ilvermorny. While this would all usually interest me, I was too depressed to really care.

I didn’t tell my dads about the bullying at school, or the extra time I spent with Professor Lupin, who sort of became a personal bodyguard for me against bullies. I made Professor Lupin promise me that he wouldn’t send a letter to my parents to tell them about what was going on, as it would only lead to my dads coming to school to embarrass me. I wanted to handle as much of it on my own as possible... which didn’t work out too well in the end since I still had a problem with bullies.

One of the hardest things was knowing that if I came out, the whole school would most likely treat me that way.

* * *

 

It was September first, and I was boarding the train to return for my sixth year. I was nervous to go back, and hoped people would have forgotten about the incident from the previous year. Tom and I always shared a compartment on our way back to school, but that year we did not. He was sharing with three other Ravenclaw Quidditch players (Lacy Foster, Danny Tennant, and Lydia George), and there was no place for me in there. I did manage to find an empty compartment, and so I walked in and made myself slightly comfortable for the long ride to Hogwarts.

About fifteen minutes into my ride, Scorpius and Albus joined me. Boy, was I glad to see them....

“Hi guys,” I said as they entered the compartment.

“Hey, Atticus! How was your summer?” Scorpius asked as he took a seat across from me.

“Quiet. How was yours?”

“Great! Dad took me to Rome to learn about Italian Muggles! It was wicked. Even brought Albus along.”

“Yeah... it was cool,” he said nonchalantly. “Did you do anything for the summer? Any trips with your dads?”

“No. I pretty much just hung out and wrote to some friends. Did a lot of reading.”

I reclined in my seat a little and felt awkward. I caught Scorpius and Albus looking at each other.

“Look, it’s all behind you, Atticus. People will move on and go after someone else. Take it from the son of a former bully....” Scorpius frowned a little.

“And what if they don’t let it go?” I sighed. “I made a fool out of myself, and I did it in front of the girl I like. She probably thinks I’m a loser, too.” I hung my head.

“Rachel? She doesn’t think that,” said Scorpius. “She was worried about you, man! I think she likes you.”

“Of course, we don’t know that for sure....” Albus quickly added.

“Well, I think she does. So there’s that,” said Scorpius.

“Speak of the devil....” Albus mumbled.

The compartment door opened and it was Rachel. She was already changed into her uniform, and I felt like my eyes popped out of my head. She really changed over the summer - she had a more feminine figure, her hair was styled in loose curls that fell gently over her shoulders, and she was wearing a little bit of makeup. She was beautiful.

“Mind if I join, boys? Everywhere else is full.” She smiled weakly.  
“S - Sure! Make yourself comfortable,” I said immediately.

“Thanks!” She grinned and took a seat next to me. “You kept your hair the same! I really like that haircut on you, Atticus. It really suits you.”

“Thank you,” I said as my cheeks grew hot. “You look really nice.”

“Aw. You’re so sweet.” She smiled at me, then turned toward Albus and Scorpius. “How was everyone’s summer?”

And so we talked about our summers and I realized that I essentially wasted mine by spending it all in my bedroom. I cursed myself for allowing depression to hit me that hard. I was miserable through all but one week of my fifth year, I was miserable all summer.... Sixth year had to be the change. I was going to learn how to Apparate, I was going to have an easier academic year, and I definitely wasn’t going to try out again for Quidditch. Maybe I would even make some new friends, too.

“Where’s your friend, Atticus?” Rachel asked halfway to Hogwarts.

“Oh, uh... he’s with his Quidditch mates. I didn’t want to bug him,” I said quietly.

“I’m sure you wouldn’t have bugged him! He’d probably like to see you.”

“He’ll see me at dinner.”

“Well, if you don’t happen to see him, want to sit next to me? I kind of had a falling out with some of my Ravenclaw friends, so I don’t really have anyone to sit with.”

I caught Scorpius winking at me.

“Sure! Uh, I mean - yeah.... Yeah, that’d be fine.” I smiled at her.

“Great! Well, I’m going to go find Rose. I haven’t seen her all summer, and I’m sure she’s tried to find me. I’ll be back soon!” She got up and smiled at us, then left.

“You are so in, mate,” said Scorpius. “She totally likes you!”

“We still don’t know that for sure,” said Albus.

“Oh come on, you’d have to be blind to not see that she likes you. You should make a move!”

“Guys, the last time I made a move I ended up in the Hospital Wing. Not happening,” I said glumly.

“You best change your mind before some other bloke comes along and snatches her up. She’s a complete catch!” Scorpius exclaimed.

“Jeez, why don’t you ask her out?” I mumbled.

“Yeah, why don’t you ask her out?” Albus questioned.

“Because I’m not interested in her! I’m just trying to help out Atticus.”

“The only help I need is to not be harassed this year.”

“I won’t let that happen,” said Albus, who looked me dead in the eye as he spoke. “I promise.”

“Okay....” I said slowly, finding his behavior odd. “We should get changed into our robes.”

* * *

Four hours later, we were at Hogwarts and things started to feel right again in my world. I rode in the carriage with Tom, Albus, and Scorpius; once again, we reflected on our summers, and I found out Tom visited some of his teammates over the summer. Which was fine because I wasn’t up to having company anyway.

By the time we reached the Great Hall, Tom took off to sit with some of his teammates, and Albus and Scorpius had to leave because they were in Slytherin. I sighed, feeling alone, and took a seat towards the end of the table by the teachers. Hardly anyone was parked at our table yet, which I was fine with.

“Oi, Atticus, how was your summer?” A fifth year boy named Albert Jenkins, who was in Slytherin, asked from his table.

“Fine. Yours?” I replied as I turned to look at him.

“Busy! I’ll tell you about it later!” He grinned, then seemed to become occupied with talking to his friends.

I sighed and stared down at the table, only to be surprised when someone sat next to me. It was Rachel. She smiled at me.

“Excited for the feast? I’m so hungry I could eat a thestral!” She giggled.

I laughed nervously.

“Yeah, me too.”

“Oh! I got a letter from the school over the summer and I’ve been transferred into Muggle Studies. Looks like we’ll have an extra class together.” She smiled.

I felt my heart flutter and my stomach come alive with butterflies.

“Really? Wicked! I can’t wait!” I paused for a second. “I mean, it’s really cool that we’ll have another class together. It’ll probably be fun.”

I just couldn’t keep my cool over anything....

She giggled at me and turned her attention toward the High Table, where all of our Professors were sitting.

“Who’s your favorite teacher? Flitwick?”

“Lupin. His classes are so much fun. Yours?”

“I actually like Snape a fair deal. I know he’s strict, but he means well,” she said as she gave Professor Snape an admiring look. “I just wish more people viewed him that way.”

“I think Snape is a good teacher, too. I’ve learned a lot from him over the years. One time in my third year, he let me retake a test because I failed due to being sick. Don’t tell anyone I told you that, though....” I glanced at Snape, who was talking to Lupin, and felt a little anxious.

“I promise I won’t.” I looked at her and saw her smiling.

She did have a nice smile.

Once everyone was in, Professor Longbottom led in the new batch of first years and we watched the sorting ceremony take place. I was excited for them - they had the opportunity to start fresh and make new friends, to look forward to learning new things some of them probably never dreamed of being real, and to go on adventures. My first year was definitely my best year.

We sat through Headmistress McGonagall’s beginning of the year speech, which included warnings about the Dark Forest, and a reminder to all to not bully each other. The last bit wasn’t included in her previous speeches and it made me wonder if Professor Lupin said something to her about my incidents last year. Bullying was punishable by removal of House points and detention with Filch.

We enjoyed the feast, and I spent most of the evening talking to Rachel. We got to know each other better, and she was just as cool as I thought she was. She liked Quidditch, she enjoyed reading, she was passionate about art, and thought Muggles were fascinating. She also had an interest in photography like I did. Part of me thought that maybe - just maybe - I stood a chance with her.

I caught up with Tom after we went back to our common room and managed to get him alone. He was relaxing in a chair, watching the embers of the fire burn bright.

“Hey mate,” I said as I took a seat next to him.

“Atticus! How you doin’, mate? Didn’t see you on the train!” He grinned at me.

“You were kinda busy, so I just rode with Scorpius and Albus. Guess who showed up to ride with us.”

“Peeves?” he joked.

“No. Rachel.”

His jaw dropped.

“No kidding? Good on you, mate! Did you two get to talk a lot? Did she mention Rose?”

“We talked a fair deal, and she did mention Rose. She went off to find her at some point, I think. Haven’t seen Rose yet, though.”

“I saw Rose when I was getting off the train. She’s so... womanly now. I think I’m in love.” He sighed. “I hope being on the team will really impress her this year! I’ve done some training this summer.”

“You might impress her more if you were on the Gryffindor team,” I said quietly.

“So? Merrick Smyth was on the Hufflepuff team and he impressed her!” He shook his head. “Thank Merlin he’s gone now.”

“Yeah....” I said quietly. “Thank Merlin.”

Little did anyone know, Merrick Smyth was one of my biggest tormentors. Him graduating that last year helped ensure that my year was going to be easier. To an extent.

After some more small talk, I decided to go to bed. Luckily I didn’t have to do my shot the following morning, unlike the previous year, so I wouldn’t have to worry about a trip to the Hospital Wing on the first day. With all the practice I had, I rarely got rashes or anything any more. I guess you could say I had it down to a T.


	6. Christmas Vacation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Atticus goes home for Christmas vacation; when he returns to Hogwarts, he's given some bad news.

The following months in my sixth year were decent. My grades were good, people hardly picked on me, and I was getting a little bit closer to Rachel. I had to admit, I thought my chances of getting with her were pretty decent. That was until Christmas break....

“Heading back home, then?” Tom asked as I organized my trunk so everything would fit.

“Yeah. Gotta see the dads,” I said. “You staying?”

“Yeah. All of us on the Quidditch team are staying. We’re going to practice so we have an advantage over the other teams.” He grinned as he sat down on his bed, which was across from me.

“I’m starting to think this isn’t about impressing Rose Weasley any more.”

“It still kind of is. It’s just... I dunno, mate. Things are so different when you’re on the team - people look at you differently, they treat you differently. I’ve had three people offer to do my homework for me this year just so I could have more time to practice. That’s something, innit? Also, girls like me now. Before I was invisible - now... now I’m a Quidditch God!”

I rolled my eyes.

“A God who can’t even fold his socks properly,” I mumbled.

“Oi, watch it,” he said in a pretend threatening manner. “How are things going with Rachel?” He winked.

“I think I stand a decent chance!” I stood up as I folded a blue sweater. “I mean, we’re way closer, she tells me everything, we do our homework together -”

“You’re in the friend zone, is what you’re saying,” said Tom.

“What?” I dropped my sweater into my trunk and stared at the fair-skinned boy in front of me.

“You’re in the friend zone, man!” He stood up, being a whopping five inches taller than me. “She’s put you there, and there’s hardly any way of getting back out. You’re stuck, mate.”

“But... but she compliments me. She asks how I think she looks in stuff, and has me check her answers on her work....”

“Oh Gods, she treats you like a girl, too!”

For a slight moment I panicked. Could she have known I was transgender? Despite having a deep voice and hair on my chin, was there a way for her to have known?

“Take Rose Weasley, for example,” Tom started. “She still doesn’t pay me any attention, but she treats me like a man.”

“How does she treat you like a man, Tom?” I asked with another eye roll.

“Example - she calls me a brute ever since I started Quidditch. She totally respects that I play it and respects that I’m a man.”

I gave him a blank stare.

“She called you a brute?”

“Yeah!”

“Mate, that’s not a compliment.”

“I’ll take it as one!” He grinned.

“Oy vey....”

* * *

I finished packing and left the following day for home. I was glad to be going home, but felt awful knowing that I was leaving Tom behind, even though he had his teammates with him. Rachel was going home for the holidays too; she said she was going to Athens to visit her brother, who worked as a magizoologist there.

The ride home was long, and it made me look forward to my pending lessons in Apparition once the school year resumed. On the way home, I shared a compartment with Scorpius and Albus. I was relieved to have two of my closer friends there with me for the journey, as I would have grown lonely and a little depressed otherwise.

“What are you doing for Christmas, Atticus?” Albus asked as he munched on a chocolate frog.

“I think I’m just staying home with my parents. We usually don’t go too far out over the holidays. What about you?”

“Oh, just the usual - a huge get-together at the Burrow. It somehow fits all of us Potters and Weasleys....”

“What about you, Scorpius?”

“We’re doing a big dinner, which I invited Albus to, but he can’t come.” Scorpius looked disappointed. “No matter. Professor Snape will be ‘round, which is normal.”

“That’s still weird to me,” I said quietly.

“He’s been coming around since before I was born, so I guess it’s not so weird for me.” Scorpius shrugged. “He is my Godfather, after all.”

“And it gets weirder,” Albus added.

“I know this is a touchy subject, but we were wondering... with what the Captain said last year, are you going to try out for the Seeker position next year?” Scorpius inquired.

“Wow, you sure don’t waste much time getting to the point,” I joked.

He shrugged again while Albus stared at me.

“I have no idea, to be honest. I made a right fool of myself and had half the school on my arse about it last year. I don’t know if I could do that again.”

“But you are an excellent flyer, and you’re basically the ideal size to be a Seeker. I’d bet you’d be the best Seeker your House has seen in decades.”

“Last good Seeker was Emma Jefferson in nineteen-eighty,” said Albus.

“See? Come on, Atticus. You don’t know unless you try.”

“True. I’ll... I’ll think about it, okay?”

Scorpius smiled.

“I was hoping you’d say that.”

* * *

 

It was six when the train arrived at King’s Cross Station, and my dads were there to pick me up.

“Bye, Albus! Bye, Scorpius! See you in a couple of weeks!” I waved at them as I got off the train and collected my trunk and Star, then hurried over to two men dressed in very nice wizarding robes.

“Hi, Dad. Hi, Pop.” I gave my dad, who was a muscular man in blue, a hug.

“Heya, son,” he said as he hugged me back, then released me so I could hug the slightly shorter man next to him in green.

“Hey, Atticus. We’ve missed you,” said Pop.

I stepped back to look at them. Dad was my biological father, and Pop was always in my life. Dad was originally married to a woman when I was born - my mother. My mother died when I was two, and within a year of her death my dads married. They were best friends since their school years, and always felt some kind of a spark, but since it was rather taboo at the time they never did much about it. I assumed them having to be in the closet and face social rejection was possibly why they were so supportive of me.

We chatted for a while on our way home, just catching up with what happened at school and what happened at the Ministry where my parents worked. My dad was an Auror and Pop was an Unspeakable. I had cool dads and I liked to brag about them to my friends when I could. I was proud of their accomplishments, and hoped to make them proud through my schooling and whatever it was that I planned to do in the future.

Dad wanted to see me go into the Ministry like he and Pop, but I was unsure if I wanted to be involved in that level of politics. I was given career advice in my fifth year, and it was recommended that I become an Unspeakable. Again, the politics in the Ministry kept me from wanting to join.

After we were home, I holed up in my room (as usual) and admired the way it was kept while I was gone: clean. The blue walls weren’t dusty, the hardwood floor was polished, and my bed was made. I flopped down on the navy comforter and sighed. I hadn’t told my dads about Rachel yet, and I was nervous to. I was afraid they’d call me silly for spending so much time with her when my primary focus should have been on my studies.

There was a knock on my door, and Pop came in to visit. He took a seat at the foot of my bed, appearing to be concerned.

“Normally you hang around us longer. What’s been going on with you, Atticus?”

“Just... school stuff, I guess,” I replied as I refused to look at him.

“Did I ever tell you why I decided to name you Atticus when you were a small boy?” he asked suddenly.

“No. Seems like I’ve always had this name, and just... I dunno. Why did you name me this?” I sat up and looked at him.

“I named you after Atticus Finch in the Muggle book _To Kill A Mockingbird_. Atticus Finch was a character who fought on the right side of history, and risked a lot to help those who needed it most. He was brave, and he made the right choices. See where I’m going with this, my son?”

“Yeah, Pop,” I said quietly. “I get what you’re saying.”

“Good. You’re my favorite son, you know.” He smiled weakly.

“I’m your only son,” I replied.

“Come here.” He opened his arms, preparing for a hug.

I got on my knees and leaned forward to hug him. He smelled of cinnamon and sandalwood. Pop liked to brew potions in his spare time - mainly potions that helped fight the common cold, or any other remedy-types.

* * *

Christmas came and passed quickly, and soon I was back to packing my things to return to Hogwarts. I was sad to leave my parents, but I was happy to go back to my home away from home. After I packed the new clothes I received for Christmas, I locked my trunk and fed Star a vanilla biscuit - one of her favorite treats. There was a knock on my door and my Dad entered the room.

“Hey, son,” he said as he sat down on my bed.

“Hi, Dad,” I responded, turning toward him to give him my full attention. “What’s going on?”

“You’re having girl trouble, aren’t you?”

I paused for a moment.

“I was a teenage boy once, you know,” he said with a smile.

“Well... yeah,” I said slowly as I leaned against my wardrobe and crossed my arms over my chest.   
“I know we haven’t been the closest this year, son, but I want you to know that I’m always here for you if you need to talk about anything. So is Pop.”

“I know, Dad.”

“Do you want to talk about her?” He patted the spot next to him, and I took a seat.

I took a deep breath and sighed.

“Her name is Rachel. She’s in my year, and she’s also in Ravenclaw.”

“That’s not so bad. Are you two friends?”

“Yeah. We’ve actually gotten really close over the past few months, but Tom says that she has me in the ‘friend zone,’ and there’s no way she’ll ever view me as more than a friend. Then... he said that she might look at me as a girl. I haven’t told anyone - I swear!”

“Now, now, Atticus. Nobody but your Headmistress and Madam Pomfrey know, and that’s for your own protection. Who you choose to tell is your business, and I trust that when you do tell someone, it will be the right choice. You have a good head on your shoulders, son.” He patted me on the back. “Why would Tom say such a thing?”

“I don’t know.” I sighed. “Quidditch has changed him so much. Aside from being stronger, he’s slightly more arrogant. Speaking of Quidditch - he and Scorpius want me to try out as Seeker next year.”

“I don’t think it’d be such a bad idea.”

That surprised me.

“Seriously?” I stared at him.

“Sure, kiddo. It might be good for you to be involved in a team activity. You’d make some more friends, and you’d have a lot of fun. Nothing like some good ol’ competition to get the blood flowing. You know I joined a Muggle Rugby team a while back? Now I have five new Muggle friends! They’re so fascinating!” He chuckled.

“That’s... great, Dad.” I continued to stare at him in confusion.

“Give Quidditch another shot. Third time’s the charm, right?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

He clapped me on the back, then stood up.

“Well, I’ll go see where your Pop ran off to. Dinner will be ready at six.”

“Okay, Dad.”

* * *

Two days later, I was back at Hogwarts, and many of the students were still returning. While Tom and I were catching up in the common room, I heard a familiar voice call my name from behind. It was Rachel, and she had just returned too. Tom winked at me and left his favorite chair by the fire, which Rachel quickly occupied.

She was stunning as ever, wearing a white peacoat and black leggings. She could definitely pull off the Muggle fashion trends. She brushed her fingers through her dark curls and smiled at me.

“How was your holiday, Atticus?” she asked.

“Oh, it was alright. How was yours?”

“Wonderful! Oh! And I met someone!” She grinned.

I felt my heart sink to my stomach.

“O - Oh.... You did?”

“Yes! His name is Marcus. He lives in Greece. He asked me to be his girlfriend, and I just couldn’t say no to him.” She sighed. “He’s so dreamy. Here’s a photo of him.”

She pulled out a black and white photograph of her and Marcus. Marcus appeared to be six feet tall, muscular, a chiseled jaw, good eyes....

“Wow. Is he a model or something?” I asked.

“No, silly. He’s a dragon trainer.”

_Of course he is...._

“So... how old is he?”

“Eighteen. I know - two years is quite the distance, but I’m almost seventeen! It doesn’t matter a whole lot.”

“Never said it did,” I replied.

“I knew you’d be understanding. You’re such a good friend, Atticus.” She smiled and leaned forward to give me a hug, which I returned.

“I have to go tell Tracy. She’s gonna freak. I’ll see you soon!” She grinned as she got up and hurried away.

I put my head in my hands and held back the urge to sob. My dream girl... taken away from me. Again.


	7. Secret Admirer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Atticus receives a love letter

“You’re kidding, mate,” Tom said from his side of the room.

I just told him about Rachel’s new Greek boyfriend, Marcus. He was just as surprised as I was when he found out. I watched as he popped his knuckles, appearing to be choosing his words wisely.

“She knows the bloke for two weeks, then decides to date him? What if he’s another Voldemort?”

“That’s pretty unlikely,” I commented.

“Still, he could be a creep! What was she thinking? And he’s a dragon trainer? Big whoop! It’s not like he can cure boils by winking at them.”

“I hate my life,” I muttered.

“Aw, come on, Atticus. She’ll realize he’s a zero and will dump him sooner or later. You know these long distance things never work out.”

“But she’s going to be Apparating soon. She’ll be able to go visit him on the weekends, I bet.” I hung my head in my hands.

“You make a point.... But he could be a real tosser. You never know.”

“I guess.” I shook it off. “How was your Christmas here?”

“Good. I actually met someone.” He grinned.

Everyone was getting dates but me! Typical.

“Oh really? What’s her name?” I raised an eyebrow.

“Olive Morgan. She’s in Hufflepuff.” He smirked. “She has got some nice bo-”

“Alright, alright!” I sighed. “I wish I had a girlfriend.”

“You will, mate! Just give it time to happen. You need to start talking to women. Let them get to know you and you’ll be able to charm the hell out of them. I swear.”

“Hey....” I started after several moments of silence. “You aren’t using Olive Morgan to make Rose jealous, are you?”

“What? No! Never!” He paused. “...yeah, maybe a little.”

“What is it with you and Rose Weasley, anyway?” Jasper asked from his bed, which made Tom and I turn in unison to look at him.

I’d assumed he’d been asleep the whole time, as it was just him, Tom, and I in the dorm at the time of our conversation.

“She have butterbeer-flavored nipples?” he asked.

“Hush it, you,” said Tom as he blushed. “Creep.”

“You’re both creeps,” I said with an eyeroll.

* * *

The following day, classes resumed, and I was able to have a free hour spent with the Slytherins, which meant catching up on new-term homework with Albus. Scorpius was absent for unknown reasons, which was strange since he and Albus were practically attached at the hip. Albus and I were working on Herbology homework; in my years at Hogwarts, I’d grown more fond of Herbology and considered making a career out of it if possible.

“Okay, true or false: aloe plants tend to store water in their leaves,” Albus quizzed.

“True,” I answered.

“Correct!” he said after he reviewed a few of his notes. “This stuff isn’t so hard. At least Longbottom isn’t making us write an entire, boring essay on aloe. Snape probably would.”

“Probably. He’d also want it to be about five feet long, too.”

“Exactly!” He smiled a little as he stared at me.

I scratched my chin, feeling the coarse hairs growing in. I had to shave once a week at that point, and I was proud of that. I noticed Albus didn’t have to shave much at that point, and I wondered how he felt about that.

“Hey, Atticus,” Rachel greeted as she walked past the Slytherin table, where I was sitting.

“Hi, Rachel,” I said quietly without looking up at her.

I kept my head down in my journal and focused on my parchment until she left.

“Whoa. What was that about?” Albus asked. “I thought you two were best friends or something.”

“That’s what I thought, too. Then she got a boyfriend while she was in Greece,” I said bitterly.

“Rachel has a boyfriend?” Albus sat up a bit higher as he stared intently at me.

“Yeah. Marcus,” I said in a mocking voice. “He’s eighteen and a dragon trainer. Something special, isn’t he?” I mumbled.

“Yeah, wow....” Albus said as he seemed to stumble over his words. “So, uh, what are you doing next weekend? We’re scheduled to go to Hogsmeade.”

“I probably won’t go,” I said with a sigh. “I’ll probably just stay here and study or something.”

“Yeah, me too,” he said smoothly. “Gotta keep the grades up. Dad would have a bird if I let them slip. Expects me to be an Auror like him since I’m not a Quidditch star like James.”

“My dads expect me to go into the Ministry after school, but I just don’t see it happening. Everyone seems to expect me to go in there....” I rolled my eyes.

“Parents, right?” he said with a weak smile.

“Yeah.”

* * *

Apparition classes were going well, though I couldn’t be licensed until after my birthday. I only splinched myself twice - once was my eyebrow, the other was my left toe. It wasn’t so bad. Albus seemed to have a harder time with it, but I was confident that he would pass by the time he could test. Tom would be getting a license before the year was out and I envied him for it, though he did promise to Apparate to my house over the summer if he did pass.

My grades were kept up, as I spent most of my free time studying and spent less time with friends. I grew closer to Albus, who was quite a nice lad. He would occasionally buy me sweeties or would share the ones he was sent from home. There was even a time during a Hogsmeade visit where he got me a new quill, which I greatly appreciated. I offered to get him things in return and he always declined.

Tom found Albus’s behavior odd, as did Jasper. Danielle told them to leave it alone, though Jasper never wanted to listen to his sister. He considered brewing some polyjuice potion to disguise himself as Scorpius to interrogate Albus, but after a few threats from Danielle, he let go of the idea.

By the time Valentine’s day rolled around, I was depressed and lonely. I was sixteen and I still had never had a girlfriend before, let alone been kissed. I felt like a loser - someone who was too weird to be loved. True, I never revealed my secret, but there had to be something about me that deterred potential lovers away from me. I just couldn’t figure out what it was....

* * *

 

It was Valentine’s morning, and I was running a little behind. I had to sneak into a bathroom to give myself my shot because too many people were hanging around in the dormitory, and I was feeling extra dysphoric that day because my voice hadn’t dropped in a few months. I was also growing paranoid about my chest possibly starting to grow (I didn’t realize at the time that it was just muscle forming), and I felt like my face was too round and feminine-looking.

When I reached Ravenclaw table, I took a seat next to Tom, who was devouring a bowl of cereal, a plate of bacon and eggs, and toast with butter and jam. He was preparing for practice later that day, and it’s not like he wouldn’t burn all those calories off anyway. I was close to nine stone by that time, and still didn’t eat a whole lot. I swore I tried to eat - I just didn’t have it in me to consume very much. On the bright side, I was finally too big to wear Muggle boys’ extra large clothes and finally wore adult clothes.

“Here comes the mail!” Tom exclaimed through a mouthful of bacon and eggs.

I looked up and watched as about a hundred owls flew into the Great Hall, and watched many packages and letters fall from their talons. What surprised me that morning was an envelope for me. It was red, and had fancy scrawl I didn’t recognize on it. Tom had a pink envelope from Olive, along with a small box of chocolates.

“Go on, mate - open it up,” he said as he nudged me. “Maybe it’s from Rachel!”

“I don’t think so. This doesn’t look like her writing.”

“Um. She could have charmed it, you know.” He rolled his eyes. “Just open it.”

“Fine!” I let out a huffy breath and opened the envelope, then unfolded the parchment inside.

_Dearest Atticus,_

_How my heart aches for you. I have fallen in love with your chocolate eyes and your savory, pink lips. How I wish to kiss you... to call you mine. Since the day we met, I knew you were destined to be mine. It would be bliss if I could be by your side for the rest of our lives._

_My life was divided - insipid before I met you. Since you came into my life, I feel a new sense of wholeness. You complete me, Atticus. You complete me in a way no man has ever done so before. When I am by your side, I feel free. I feel as though I could conquer anything life has to challenge me with. I feel as though I could leap over mountains. You make my heart soar._

_I challenge you to figure out who I am. Once you are sure, approach me. I want to be yours - forever, truly, madly, deeply._

_Signed,_  
_Your Secret Admirer_

My jaw dropped after I finished reading the letter. It had to be a prank - after all, I was... I was just Atticus. There was nothing very special about me. I was short, I was small, I was transgender. These were reasons for girls to turn their backs on me, despite the last reason being kept secret.

“Whoa, mate! Good on you for having a secret admirer! Who do you think it is?” Tom asked.

“What’s going on?” Jasper asked as he approached the table with what I assumed was a letter from home in his hands.

“Atticus got a love letter from a secret admirer!”

“I can’t believe it! Good on you, At. You must be thrilled. Who do you think it is?”

“I haven’t a clue. I know it can’t be Rachel. I mean, look at her,” I said as I motioned my head toward the end of the table, where Rachel was hugging a teddy bear to her chest and holding a pink note. “She’s clearly not the one like I’d hope. I just... I don’t think I really care about who it is.” I sighed.

“Come on, Atticus!” Jasper exclaimed. “Who cares if it’s not Rachel? It could be a girl ten times hotter and ten times cooler than her! Give her a chance!”

“Or him. It could be a guy, too,” said Tom.

“But I like girls,” I said quietly.

“I know, mate. Sometimes you gotta let down some guys easily. I’ve had to.” Tom shrugged.

“I - I gotta go, guys. I need to get to class. See you all around.” I stood up and grabbed my brown bag, then quickly exited the Great Hall without eating.

Who was it? Why would someone send me, of all people, a love note? How could I figure out who it was? I had too many questions going through my mind and not enough answers.


	8. Possibilities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Atticus receives a list of possible letter-writers from Tom; he talks to Danielle about the love letter he received.

Days following Valentine’s, and I was still confused about who sent me the letter. I told my dads about it and they didn’t offer much helpful advice - they merely said to take a look at my friend’s circle. That was Tom, Jasper, Danielle, Albus, and Scorpius. Danielle....

Perhaps it was Danielle.

I made plans to stop Danielle outside of Astronomy on a Friday afternoon just a week after Valentine’s Day. She was hurrying out of the class for some reason, and I had to jog to keep up with her.

“Danielle! Hey!” I said as I caught up with her.

“Oh, hi, Atticus. How are you?” she asked as she continued her quick pace.

“Fine. Can you slow down? I need to talk to you about something.”

She let out a sigh and stopped in her tracks. She turned to face me.

“What is it? I need to get back to my dorm so I can start my homework.”

“Are you my secret admirer?”

I figured I’d might as well get to the point instead of wasting her time.

She gave me a baffled look.

“No. I only like you as a friend, Atticus. I’m sorry.” She placed her hand on my arm. “I’m sure you’ll figure them out sooner or later. I can help you this weekend if you’d like, as long as I’m not busy, I mean.”

“Right... sure.” I sighed. “Thanks.”

“No problem. See you later!” She waved and took off into a sprint towards Ravenclaw Tower.

* * *

After Apparition lessons that weekend, I caught up with Scorpius and Albus, who were building a snowman on the grounds.

“Hey, Atticus. Any luck with finding out who your secret admirer is?” Scorpius asked as I approached them.

“No. All I’ve found out is that most of the girls I’ve talked to just view me as a friend, so that’s a great confidence boost,” I said glumly before kicking some snow.

“It could always be worse,” said Albus. “My cousin, Rose, asked out a guy last year and got shot down. At least nobody has turned you down for a date.”

“Wait, Rose got turned down? Does Tom know?” I asked.

“Probably not. Rose kinda made me swear to secrecy about that. Oops.” Albus shrugged. “So... you don’t have a clue as to who your secret admirer is? Not even a tiny inkling?”

“Nope. I even asked a couple of first years and had them laugh in my face and call me old. It went swimmingly.” I rolled my eyes.

“That’s reaching,” said Scorpius, who was decorating the snowman’s face. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out sooner or later. You’re in Ravenclaw for a reason.”

“I doubt they placed me in Ravenclaw because I’m good at figuring out love letters, Scorp.”

“Only saying....”

“Atticus!” Tom exclaimed as he ran out of the castle, making the three of us turn to look at him.

“What?” I stared at him, waiting for my burly friend to clue me in on what was happening.

“Here,” he said as he handed me a piece of parchment. “Here are a list of potential girls. Be careful of numbers three and twelve.”

“Why?” I gave him a funny look.

“Because they’re a little, erm... batty....”

“Marvelous.”

“Let me see that,” said Albus, who took the paper from me. “Let’s see... Angelina Bronx? Definitely not her. She’s snobby and expects love letters - she wouldn’t write one to save her own life.”

Scorpius took the paper from Albus.

“Jenny Taylor? No way! She’s got a boyfriend.”

I took the paper and read through the twelve names on the list.

“Helga Trainor? But she’s a lesbian.” I gave Tom a strange look while he merely shrugged.

Albus took the list from me again.

“Yvonne Wright - boyfriend. Georgia Hughs - long distance relationship. Kylie Peters - a stuck-up Slytherin. Freda Nicolson - seventh year. Amelia or Amadis Alta - incest.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“Incest?”

“There are rumors,” Albus said coolly. “Amanda McKenna - doesn’t do relationships. Jamie Berry, graduated last year - come on, Tom. At least have an updated list. Finally, Geraldine Smith - another lesbian.”

Albus handed the list back to Tom, who looked a little baffled.

“How do you know all of these girls?”

“My brother is James Potter. He’s run with almost half of them.”

“How is James, anyway?” I asked.

“Fine. He’s training to play for England next year. Mum and Dad are real proud.” He rolled his eyes.

“That’s gotta be rough,” I sympathized.

“I just thought of another!” Tom exclaimed.

“Who?” Scorpius, Albus, and I said in unison.

“Lily Potter!”

Albus glared at Tom.

“She’s my little sister, Tom.”

“She could still have a crush on Atticus. She’s fourteen, y’know.”

“So? She doesn’t have a crush on him. I’d know.”

“Maybe the letter was just a prank,” I commented.

“It wasn’t!” Scorpius exclaimed. “Come on, have some confidence, Atticus. You’re a good-looking lad. There are plenty of girls who’d think so. You just need to get yourself out there more.”

“You really sound like Tom,” I muttered.

“Speaking of myself, I’m going back in. I did not dress for this kind of weather.”

“Yeah, yeah. Later, Tom,” I said quietly.

He bid us farewell and went back inside.

* * *

 

Over the next couple of months, I worked at finding out who my secret admirer was. I had no luck, and eventually gave up on it in time for spring finals. I was nervous to start my seventh year, as it was going to be my final year at school, and the year I was going to try out for Quidditch for the last time. I decided to try out as a Seeker for the team, and hoped beyond hope that I wouldn’t make another fool of myself.

Rachel and I were back on speaking terms by April, and it made my heart hurt. She was still with Marcus, and she planned to Apparate to him as soon as she had her license, which she wouldn’t get until June. I wouldn’t get mine until August, and it made me frustrated. Tom already took his test and passed, so he would simply Apparate on Hogsmeade weekends while the rest of us were stuck walking all the way.

Tom was still hung up on Rose Weasley, despite him still being somehow invisible to her. He kept his girlfriend, Olive Morgan, around until May. She broke up with him because he was too distant - little did she probably know, it was his feelings for another girl getting in the way.

I still had no luck with the ladies. I was pushing seventeen and still hadn’t been kissed or had a girlfriend. I was beginning to wonder if I was cursed. Something about me had to be off to the girls - I just couldn’t figure out what it was.

Then there were my changes.... I still hadn’t grown, and I hadn’t really put on weight, but I was gaining a little more muscle mass. There wasn’t much to notice, but my arms were more firm and I had more veins popping out of my arms when I flexed or tensed up. I could grow patchy facial hair, which I tried to keep shaven off at all times because it made me look like a freak. I hadn’t lost any hair, which I was deeply thankful for.

During a long talk with Danielle, I found out she liked Scorpius Malfoy. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that he liked a different girl (Angelica Taylor, Gryffindor), so I just said I could put in a good word for her. That seemed to be good enough for her, as she gave me a hug and left to find her twin. I was sworn to secrecy because if Jasper found out, she would have been in the world of trouble for liking a Slytherin.

After completing finals, I had a week to lounge around the castle and do nothing. There were no classes, no more tests... nothing. Everything felt boring. I was itching to go home to see my parents, and most of all, prepare myself mentally for my final year. I needed to concentrate on getting on the Quidditch team, and focus on choosing a career for myself. I talked to Professor Flitwick several times during my sixth year about possible career paths, and he said being a Healer could be a potential because of my O.W.Ls. It was something to think about....

When the results came in for finals, I found out that I passed all of my classes through flying colors, and I was set to go home. I packed my trunk the night before we were due to board the Hogwarts Express, and Tom was being lazy as usual about his packing. I scolded him multiple times about being tidier, and he called me his dad. He wouldn’t be riding home, as he planned to Apparate back home. I envied him, but on the same token I was happy for him and his new privilege.


End file.
